Michelman, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, will showcase its Unyte technologies for nonwovens and technical textiles and the Hydrosize and Hydrosize Carbon fibre sizing solutions for composites at CAMX 2022, which will take place from October 17-20  in Anaheim, California.

Michelman’s Unyte brand is a versatile family of water-based technologies that help achieve advanced form and function in woven and nonwoven materials used in the design of technical textiles and prepreg fabrics. These solutions enhance the performance of textile products by improving adhesion, binding, processability and chemical and heat resistance. The Unyte Bind series offers multiple solutions that improve fibre-to-fibre adhesion, while Unyte Grip promotes the adhesion between fibres and polymeric matrices, helping to improve various functional or mechanical properties. Unyte Slip is beneficial for fabrics, nonwovens and pre-pregs that need to be stacked or rolled without sticking together. Unyte Resist products are meanwhile designed to provide wet-out and moisture/chemical resistance to fabrics. They impart performance benefits including chemical resistance, water resistance and hydrophobicity under humid conditions to fabrics.

Hydrosize is Michelman’s range of sizing solutions designed for use in the manufacturing of glass, carbon and natural fibres, including both chopped and continuous formats. They are used as lubricants, film formers, sizing agents and binders during fibre manufacturing and composites processing. This technology allows fibre manufacturers to optimise the interfacial adhesion between the polymers and fibres by tailoring surface chemistry of their reinforcement fibres to the matrix resin’s chemistry. This improved interface adhesion helps fibre producers and composite manufacturers produce stronger, lighter and more durable composite parts.

Michelman will also feature Hydrosize Carbon solutions that allow customers to leverage carbon fibre’s unique qualities and produce higher-quality composites. They also help further exploit the traditional benefits of composites – design freedom, consolidation of parts and integration of functionality – while meeting light-weighting initiatives. Composites that require high-temperature processing typically require the use of high-temperature polyamide, polyimide, PPS, and PAEK-based resins.

Select Hydrosize Carbon grades provide thermal stability and are specifically designed to withstand elevated processing and subsequent applications. The various grades offer a wide variety of solutions depending on resin compatibility, fibre type, and desired composite performance.

“While fibre sizing accounts for a small percent of the finished product, it has a significant impact on the final properties of composite parts,” said Steve Bassetti, Michelman’s director of global marketing. “Optimising fibre polymer interfacial adhesion with Hydrosize enhances the performance of numerous mechanical and chemical properties, including thermal and hydrolytic stability, corrosion resistance, heat and oil resistance, impact strength, tensile and flexural strengths, compressive strength, fatigue performance and electrical conductivity. It is a critical component that produces high-quality, high-performance composites.”

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